Friday 30 May 2014

The May Edit


FAVOURITES | This month there was one clear beauty winner in the form of L'oreal True Match Foundation. I bought it after deciding none of my bases looked natural enough/lasted long enough/gave enough coverage (I don't ask for much), but I'm pleased to report true match delivers on all these accounts melting into the skin to a gorgeous natural but glowy finish that lasts all day and covers a multitude of sins. Fashion wise, it's been all about my beautiful orange Kurt Geiger's and the Motel co-ord I have coming up on Sunday. I've got to say how much I adore the gorgeous Kayleigh from Couture Girl too, who gave me the most lovely feature in her 'sharing the love' post and who I cannot wait to meet this Summer! Oh, and a big pink shout out to my personalised cupcake. 

BEAUTY NEWS | I have to say Benefit is bringing it in terms of new releases with the BeneBalms and b.right serum/sunscreen launching tomorrow and they're real! gel push-up liner coming out on June 28th. I've been lucky enough to get my mitts on it early (and also dress up in an orange jumpsuit for the blogger event) and it's genuinely revolutionised my eye-lining life to the point where I'm sporting seriously easy, long lasting wings every day of the week! I'm also buzzing to get my hands on the Models Own Polish for Tans and Essie Neon Collection as I'm loving all things bright right now- probably the reason I can't stop fawning over the new megawatt lip and nail shades from Maybelline

LIFE | This month has been one of the busiest but also the best. Work at BeneTowers has exploded with all the new launches, campaigns and events going on and whilst this can be stressful it means I'm part of some seriously exciting stuff and this month I got to meet my absolute blogging idols (you can see Kate, Corrie & Laura peeking out from my montage). I've also managed to mix my weekends up quite well between boyfriend, family, uni friends and home girls, which is something that can get pretty tricky when long distance is involved and I've even got some cat time pencilled in for the next couple of days. All in all life is crazy good and the pace shows no sign of slowing as tonight I'm running straight from work to see Miss Katy Perry at the O2!!  

NOTES | One thing that has fallen to the wayside with being so busy is my health and fitness- it's not that you'd notice any difference, but I've been too lazy to make a proper dinner too many times and haven't made use of my gym membership, so getting back into working out and eating healthily is high on the priority list this June. I've done a few power hours in my trainers this week and also started a 30 day ab challenge, so if you do want updates on my progress please let me know/follow me on Instagram. I also want to stick more strictly to my blog post and video schedule (on that note there's only one more day to vote for me as 'best established beauty blog' over at that big Cosmo button in my sidebar...mwah!) and worry that bit less and enjoy all the amazing things I get to do that bit more! WOOP.  

What would make it into your May Edit?


Wednesday 28 May 2014

The Event | Maybelline SuperStay Summer Launch


Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a fancy London hotel for the launch of Maybelline's SuperStay Summer Collection (available here). I get so excited whenever I'm invited to events, so you can imagine how happy I was when I found out this one would be lipstick and nail polish based (and contain bountiful amounts of miniature burgers and ice cream!). I'm actually already a firm fan of Maybelline's SuperStay Gel Nail Colour with 'mint for life' being my go to pastel polish of 2013, so I can already vouch for their fabulous gel formula, easy to use wide brush and super shiny finish and I think you can see for yourself that they've got the new 2014 colours down to a tee too. The Tiffany blue and Essie 'fiji' inspired shades are gorgeous, but on the night I opted to have 'orange punch' and 'pink volt' from the megawatt section painted on my tiny talons in a funky ombré effect. They lasted on my nails for a solid five days and I think they'd last for the whole seven on non nail nibblers, which is amazing at just four pound a pop! 

I can't review the new lip colours in quite the same detail as I've only just got my mitts on them, but I'm head over heels for 'burst of coral' and 'neon pink' on colour alone as they're proper popping summery statement shades totally different to anything in my current collection. They also smell like chewits, are magically matte yet creamy and the swatches were seriously tricky to get off my hand, which all bodes very well indeed and I'll be sure to let you know how I get on once I've put them to the test a little more. There were also lots of lovely base bits about from the SuperStay range like the Better Skin foundation, powder and concealer. I'm always looking to create a base that doesn't disappear by tea time especially in the sun and the idea of getting better skin by wearing make up is surely every beauty blogger's dream, so I have high hopes for those too. All we need now is some heat and a mojito to pair it all with. One can dream... 

Are you excited for the superstay summer collection?  

Monday 26 May 2014

The Lip Product Addict TAG



Happy Bank Holiday lovelies! As a little bank holiday treat I have a double dose of all things lipstick for you with a video of mine and Faye's favourite products for the perfect pout (dream tag or what!). We had such a fun time filming this and our Non Beauty Favourites over on Faye's channel, so I'd love it if you gave both videos a watch and a cheeky subscribe. I've been having a most enjoyable chilled bank holiday weekend with the boy cooking up sweet treats and going gaga over Hugh Jackman and now there are only four days until I return home to cat sit for the weekend. One less alarm and some serious fur ball time? Bank holday bliss.

What's your favourite lip product of the moment?

Sunday 25 May 2014

May Bloglovin'



Hey Guys! I'm Megan and I run My Pretty Apparel. I absolutely love blogging and can't think of a better way to spend a night in than getting all cosy reading through my favourite blogs (okay, maybe throw a Chinese takeaway in there too?). My blog is mainly beauty based but every now and again I feature the odd fashion or lifestyle post too. Please check out my blog and do leave a comment as I love meeting new bloggers! I'm also slightly obsessed with Instagram, so you can find me there too!


Hi everyone! So a brief intro about me... my name is Lucy, I am 21 and training to be a beauty and makeup artist. I am starting at The Session School in June which I am so excited about! I love beauty and love trying new products and experimenting with different looks. I wanted to start a blog to try and document my journey so I can look back and share any good tips I pick up along the way. I have some exciting things in the pipeline so will be sharing them with everyone. I will also be including bits of lifestyle such as recipes and any fashion finds.


So why Lulabel and not Lucy? Well it was one of many childhood nicknames my Mum gave me and when I was thinking of blog names it just kinda stuck!!



I have two younger brothers and the best dog ever called Wilbur, I am sure all 3 of them will be featuring on the blog! I also have Cystic Fibrosis which will probably make its way on the blog too - this is a first for me as I have always been pretty reserved when it comes to my health! My health has greatly improved over the last year,  however it still gets in the way of life and I had to leave uni early as my health couldn't cope with it. I guess if you haven't heard about Cystic Fibrosis or you want to know more check out the CF trust website.


Hi I'm Aimee from Aimee Loves. I started my blog in January this year after realising that i needed to justify my ever growing stash of beauty bits. My main focus is beauty, but i do like to sneak in the occasional baking or lifestyle post. I love having my own space on the web where I can chat about what I love, there is something quite therapeutic about it really. I have loved my blogging journey so far and how its turned out, I hope that you will too!

Make sure to give these lovely ladies a read & let me know if you'd like a home in my sidebar next month!

Friday 23 May 2014

Boutique Beauty Hacks #1

As you might have guessed, there’s nothing I love more than talking about beauty with you gals, my friends, family, cats, that random lady at the bus stop… the list goes on and on. Of course holy grails, make up crushes and the perfect mint nail polish are really great topics, but best of all are those secret beauty hacks which make all the difference in feeling fabulous fast. That's the exact reason I've started this side series sharing the tips 'n' tricks that are getting me through busy modern life right now, in the hope that you'll a learn a little something new and help each other (and me) right back... 

    FAKE UP THE WAKE UP // Keep your eye cream in the fridge and pop a thick layer under your eyes on particularly sleepy mornings for a makeshift eye mask that nourishes, hydrates and wakes you up big time! Leave for ten minutes and pat in the excess. My current cream of choice is Benefit’s ‘it’s potent!’

GREEN IS GOOD // Embrace the mess you make when cutting up an avocado and instead of washing that green goo off right away, massage it into your hands focussing on the nails and cuticles- it’s natures very own super conditioning hand/nail cream with essential oils to leave everything super soft!

DITCH THE DIGESTIVES // Love fake tanning but hate smelling of digestives? Gently pat a gorgeous smelling body butter onto the skin right before you the leave the house, focusing on the arm, neck and chest area. I use Soap & Glory’s Righteous Butter and it keeps me bronzed but biscuit free all day long.

PANDA V POWDER // If you’re fed up with liner and mascara that smudges and transfers like no tomorrow make sure to lightly loose powder your whole eye area before and after you apply your eye make up to ensure an oil free base is created and the artwork is set in place. What panda eyes?

YOU GLOW GIRL // Most people think you should simply conceal imperfections and never highlight them. However, priming with a liquid highlighter like the 17 Skin Wow reflects light away from blemishes/scarring, giving you a seriously gorgeous glowing base that allows you to wear less foundation which will also last longer.

What are your top beauty hacks? I'll include my favourites in next month's post!

Wednesday 21 May 2014

The Denim Smock

Outfit // All Primark (Except from Mr Kors...)

I'm pretty sure you'll agree the weather is rather unpredictable right now- I was sporting the short shorts at the weekend and now I've just walked home wrapped in a mac to fend off the elements. All in all dressing for May is proving a tricky one which is why multi seasonal items so are essential. My favourite piece for rain or shine has to be my Primark denim smock dress which is up there as the best £12 I've spent! It's perfect for layering with tights, boots and a jumper for those more chilly days (aka Britain all year round) and also works fabulously with a pair of sandals and some sunnies for when the sun does come out. On this day I popped a collared top underneath and added a white satchel for a more cutesy look, but you could totally toughen it up with some chunky boots and a leather jacket too. That's multi-purpose packing at it's best!

Tonight I'm going to have a bit of a chill out after a very manic few days. I always think being busy is best though and there are so many exciting things coming up. Tomorrow for example I'm off to Carnaby to do some filming and then a Maybelline event in the evening- there's nothing quite like swanning around pretending to live the sophisticated London Life!

What item do you wear come rain or shine?

Sunday 18 May 2014

Loose Powder Lovin'


This has to be the sunniest Sunday I've seen since last Summer (tongue twister much), which makes my pasty limbs and ice cream cravings ridiculously happy, but also gives my usually normal skin a touch of the 'shineball' effect. That's the technical term don't you know. The dilemma I have every summertime is not wanting to be shiny with slippy disappearing makeup, whilst also not wanting anything too heavy, matte or cakey on my face, so finally I've found the perfect solution- loose powder. I know it's hardly a revolutionary solution, but for the girl who  used Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder like it was going out of fashion or nothing at all, this perfect in between is a rather big deal okay...

My current loose powders of choice are the Bourjois Java Rice Powder and Benefit POREfessional Agent Zero Shine. I use the Bourjois powder on my t-zone/eye area as part of my morning make up routine. Don't let the pink shimmer scare you- this is a seriously gorgeous powder which not only sets make up and controls oil, but also illuminates/perfects the complexion. It's incredibly lightweight and natural on the skin too making it the perfect powder for non-powder kind of girls that like a dewy base like myself. Sometimes this will keep me looking the right side of glowy all day and other times I have to run to work/get gross on the tube/head straight from desk to dance floor and in these cases a further backup is required and that's when Benefit's new powdery offering steps in. When I first heard about Agent Zero Shine I wasn't actually that convinced as I thought it would be too faffy. However, the all in one powder, brush and pot design makes this a genius little carry around and the actual powder not only banishes shine without looking cakey or too matte, but also resurfaces the skin slightly- dusting away pores and skin paddies in seconds. Bring on the sunshine.

Are you lovin' loose powder life?
   
Thursday 15 May 2014

Marc Jacobs Daisy | Thoughts & Giveaway

Marc Jacobs Daisy* // £53.95 // Fragrance Direct

Marc Jacobs Daisy is one of those cult perfumes most girls have lined up on their dressing table, so when the lovely Fragrance Direct offered me a choice of scents I knew it had to be this beautiful bottle. Not only is the packaging a daisy topped dream but I've fast become addicted to the smell of this beauty. With top notes of strawberry, violet and grapefruit and woody vanilla base notes, this is the most perfect sweet yet sophisticated floral, flirty and fun fragrance for Spring and Summer which keeps you smelling fresh as a daisy (pardon the pun) all day long. If you haven't got your mitts on it yet or just love it as much as I do then head over to my Instagram right now (@megsboutique_) and enter my giveaway where you can win your very own bottle! And now I'm off to pack my bottle up for a sun filled weekend back at home. Shorts (and fake tan) at the ready...

What's your favourite spring time scent?
      
Wednesday 14 May 2014

The Bank Holiday VLOG



Hey ladies! Tonight I have a cheeky mid week dose of vlogging for you. I've been really getting into watching vloggers lately so I'm keen to do more camera carrying on my channel (you can vote for my YouTube channel in the Cosmo Blog Awards here if you like), even though I may never quite get used to talking to myself as I walk down the street! As we all had an extra long weekend at the start of May and I was heading back to Sheffield with my uni friends for lots of fun, I thought it was a good opportunity to put you in my pocket and take you along for the ride. In this vlog you'll find all the usual make up and outfit jazz, alongside a 'train get ready with me' attempt, drunken night out antics, serious amounts of food and a Sam style take over. Enjoy!
    
Sunday 11 May 2014

The Body Shop Beautifying Oil

Strawberry Beautifying Oil // £9 // The Body Shop

Any of you that keep up with my day to day (oh so thrilling) adventures on Twitter or Instagram will know that I spend a fair amount of my time travelling. Not exactly sun filled jet setting unfortunately, but last weekend I was in Sheffield with my uni friends, this weekend I'm in London with my boyfriend followed by a working week in Chelmsford and next weekend I'm back at home in Kent with my family and home girls. Given that my life has been like this for the past four years you'd think I'd be pretty good at packing by now, however my beauty addiction has somewhat hindered this being a reality and more often than not I'm late for my train due to trying to squeeze my entire blush collection, four different heat tools and a six part skincare routine into my suitcase. So I was very happy to receive this little travel friendly gem from Santa last Christmas- a mini multi purpose bottle of beauty gold also known as The Body Shop Strawberry Beautifying Oil. To a normal person who manages to pack less than a year's worth of products for two nights, an oil probably doesn't seem essential, but this lovely lightweight blend of nut oils can be used for so many things it actually helps reduce the size of my beauty bag. For starters it makes a great light yet nourishing hair oil that can be used before or after blowdrying. I have a classic case of frizzy dry ends so this is a godsend for adding moisture and keeping them looking sleek/healthy on the go. It's also fabulous for hydrating the face and body, so you can drop the night cream and body butter in favour of a small squirt of this (little goes a long way folks). As it's a dry easily absorbed oil with illuminating properties it'll keep you more glowy than greaseball too. How technical... Being a person with a penchant for cuddling cats and dancing into outdoor heaters I also have a few scars that I need to look after, so this effectively takes the place of bio oil when I'm out and about. I'm actually quite a fan of the sweet strawberry scent, but you can choose from lots of other scents like shea, olive and mango if you prefer something a bit more subtle. So if you are on the move anytime soon I'd head to Body Shop, purchase this for £9 and pop that kitchen sink away... 

What are your travel beauty secrets?

Thursday 8 May 2014

ASOS Street Style

topshop sweater // zara skort // boohoo parka* // jasper conran bag* // boohoo boots*

Lately I've been having a fair few 'pinch me' moments (spending yesterday nattering and munching on cream teas with lots of my absolute favourite bloggers being the highlight) and getting snapped by ASOS street style as I strolled down Carnaby Street a couple of weeks ago is certainly one of them! For me it was a classic grab and go- I'm late for a meeting but still want to look like I've made an effort- kind of outfit. My pleather skort has to be one of my all time favourite purchases as it's incredibly easy to style/wear and works with so many looks. At the moment I really like brightening it up with my comfy neon sweater, which is another spring staple in my books. Sadly the weather wasn't as bright so the parka had to come out too- coatless days seem ridiculously far off with the rather rainy weather right now! The last thing I threw on were my BooHoo chelsea boots which are perfect for busy London days where you want to look stylish but still be able to walk when you get home (how did I ever survive uni nights out in killer heels!?). I always seem to get compliments on the boots, skort and sweater too. Clearly I should grab and go outfits more often...

What's your classic street style?    

Tuesday 6 May 2014

New In Spring Fling


You could say I'm having a bit of a fling with Spring right now. Make up wise that is. Something about the pastels and dewy bases draw me in like a magpie to a milk bottle so it's not surprising I have several new additions I can't wait to show you! First up, a foundation that has finally taken over my two year love affair with Bourjois Healthy Mix and is pretty much complexion perfection- L'oreal Paris True Match. An incredibly light and runny foundation that melts into the skin instantly when applied with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, setting to a beautiful satin finish- glowy whilst still incredibly skin like with a very good medium coverage. It also stays in tact throughout my long working days and 'N2 Vanilla', as the name suggests, is a true match for my Spring skin. At a reasonable £9.99 this nicely packaged bottle has totally blown me away and even curbed my craving for Nars Sheer Glow. Praise indeed. 

Next we have a repurchase that also blows me away each time I wear it; Topshop 'Whimsical' Lipstick. As much as I'm a sucker for a buttery balm this blue skied time of year, I'm also partial to a good Spring matte and luckily the velvety formula of this lipstick doesn't have the drying downside. Even though I do find myself topping this up a fair amount, 'Whimsical' is totally worth it for the colour which I really can't get enough of- a stunning pigmented peachy pink that instantly brightens the complexion and compliments all manner of makeup looks. At just £8 and with that kooky packaging perk, I don't see myself falling out of love with this anytime soon.  

A brand new release for SS14 that I couldn't help but get my mitts on comes in the form of Essie 'Fashion Playground'. I wanted to grow my Essie polish collection a bit more and thought I'd go for this minty green shade instead of the classic 'Mint Candy Apple'. 'Fashion Playground' is a less blue very true mint green with a milky pastel tone and slight shimmer. I've got to say I actually might reserve this for more autumnal leafy green moments later in the year as it's just not quite bright and cool toned enough to give me that tan inducing flattering off white effect I'm after, but it's a pretty polish none the less. And it does look ever so lovely displayed on a muji drawer... 

      What products have you caught in a Spring Fling?

Monday 5 May 2014

Best of Benefit




It's no secret that I spend my days working away in the marketing apartment of BeneTowers, so it's no wonder I've become pretty obsessed with a great deal of Benefit products! Over the past few months of sneaking swatches and spritzes at the tester cupboard I've actually formed a serious amount of favourites which I wanted to put together in a video for you. From brilliant bases to big brows and beautiful boxes, Benefit has it covered and a few of my hero highlights have to be watt's up!, 'birthday suit' cream shadow and agent zero shine. Make sure to watch the video to get the full lust list and all the low down. You can also watch the lovely Chloe's fabulous 'Benefit Get Ready With Me' here. On that note I actually need to get ready to head back to Benefit after my bank holiday weekend in Sheffield...ahh the life of a working girl!

What are your Benefit besties?  

Thursday 1 May 2014

April Favourites



Revlon Lip Butter in 'Tutti Frutti' // This is an old holy grail of mine that comes out whenever the sun does and I'm pleased to report it's got a fair bit of use this month. It has a super nourishing and glossy formula which fades evenly, doesn't transfer and can provide a quick wash of coral or full on red. Some would say it's the ultimate lipstick for holiday romance. Ooo la la.  
MAC 217 Blending Brush // Out with the old and in with the new- this is the latest brush to enter my collection and it's gone straight to number one. In fact, I'm convinced it's the perfect powder shadow brush despite the price tag- it packs on colour with serious pigmentation and precision then blends beautifully, making any eye look super quick and easy. Faffy shadow, be gone. 
Bourjois Cream Blush in 'Healthy Glow' // I know it's not the prettiest thing to photograph now, but that's only because it's been so loved! This won the much coveted place of the one blush in my travel make up bag this Easter and trust me, I usually pack (at least) three. It's the perfect pinky peach that instantly peps up the complexion and the pigmented cream formula is a dewy dream to work with.   
a&m midi ring* // I got sent this gorgeous midi ring in my Look Fantastic VIP Box and I pretty much haven't taken it off since. I don't even usually wear much in the way of rings, but the rose gold matches my Michael Kors perfectly and it's just so dainty and delightful. I've already compiled a wishlist from their rather tempting website. 
Barry M Gelly Paint in 'Sugar Apple' // The new Spring Gelly shades have been all over the blogasphere lately so I couldn't resist popping 'sugar apple' into my boots basket last week. It instantly became an April favourite thanks to it's pretty duck egg blue/green shade, gel like formula and the fabulous name of course. Looks like 'rose hip' and 'huckleberry' are calling...  
Benefit 'Laugh with me Lee Lee' // Before working at BeneTowers I never gave Benefit perfumes a look in, but after many trips to the tester cupboard and some serious spritzing action I've gotten quite addicted to Lee Lee! It's a very pretty fresh, floral and fruity scent perfect for Spring and also a great handbag top up thanks to the nice portable packaging. 
Topshop Satchel* // I thought I'd throw in a bit of a cheeky fashion favourite this month (and not just because it makes a pleasing photo background) as I've used this gorgeous satchel every moment possible since I got it in my Westfield shopping challenge. It's definitely the perfect Spring/Summer wardrobe update for colour-phobes and has taken me out of my tan bag rut. About time...

What were your April Favourites? 

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